BANGKOK, March 26 - Thai Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva awarded the first of his government's cheques folr the welfare of the public at large in a ceremony in front of Bangkok's City Hall Thursday morning, marking the beginning of the handout of 2,000 baht cheques to boost grass-roots spending as part of the government's wider stimulus package.

Millions of Thai people making less than 15,000 baht a month are eligible to receive the cheques.

Mr. Abhisit said the cheques were intended to increase people’s purchasing power and to boost local consumption.

Crowds of prospective recipients in a long queue in front of City Hall, the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) to receive the payments. Payment points have been set up nationwide to facilitate distribution of the cheques.

About 7.5 million people have registered to receive the handouts. Employees who earn less than Bt15,000 a month and are registered members of the Social Security Fund are entitled to receive the subsidies.

Intended to inject cash at the local level to jumpstart a national economy severely impacted by the global financial crisis, the distribution is part of the government-sponsored Bt117 billion economic stimulus programmes.

Cheque recipients can withdraw cash or use them as cashier’s cheques to directly buy goods from 21 companies nationwide which will accept the cheques in lieu of cash on presentation to purchase goods and services.

Distribution of the government cheques are presented to beneficiaries at their workplaces, at district offices or at Social Security offices.

Finance Minister Korn Chatikavanij said the welfare cheque payments are a short term measure to spur the stagnant economy and would be a one-off measure as there would be second or third round of such payments. (TNA)

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Reporter : PDN staff Photo : Internet Category : Politics News

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